Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40019115›Full record

ArticleDiabetes, obesity & metabolism2025

Carnitine supplementation improves insulin sensitivity and skeletal muscle acetylcarnitine formation in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Yvonne M H Op den Kamp-Bruls, Yvo J M Op den Kamp, Pandichelvam Veeraiah, Ruben Zapata Perez, Esther Phielix, Bas Havekes, Gert Schaart, Esther Kornips, Bart R B Berendsen, Ashraf Virmani and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Diabetes, obesity & metabolism, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Yvonne M H Op den Kamp-BrulsDepartments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Yvo J M Op den KampDepartment of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Pandichelvam VeeraiahDepartments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Ruben Zapata PerezLaboratory Genetic Metabolic Diseases, Amsterdam Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Esther PhielixDepartment of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-2672-0415
Bas HavekesDepartment of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Gert SchaartDepartment of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Esther KornipsDepartment of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Bart R B BerendsenAlfasigma Nederland B.V., Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Ashraf VirmaniAlfasigma Nederland B.V., Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Joachim E WildbergerDepartments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Riekelt H HoutkooperLaboratory Genetic Metabolic Diseases, Amsterdam Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Matthijs K C HesselinkDepartment of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Patrick SchrauwenClinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Vera B Schrauwen-HinderlingDepartments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-7795-584X

Funding

Topconsortium voor Kennis en Innovatie 40-41200-98-9344
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aim/hypothesisRecently, we reported that increasing free carnitine availability resulted in elevated skeletal muscle acetylcarnitine concentrations and restored metabolic flexibility in individuals who have impaired glucose tolerance. Metabolic flexibility is defined as the capacity to switch from predominantly fat oxidation while fasted to carbohydrate oxidation while insulin stimulated. Here we investigated if carnitine supplementation enhances the capacity of skeletal muscle to form acetylcarnitine and thereby improves insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

methodsThirty-two patients followed a 12-week L-carnitine treatment (2970 mg/day, orally). Insulin sensitivity was assessed by a two-step hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. In vivo skeletal muscle acetylcarnitine concentrations at rest and post-exercise (30 min, 70% W

resultsCompliance with the carnitine supplementation was good (as indicated by increased plasma-free carnitine levels (p < 0.01) and pill count (97.1 ± 0.7%)). Insulin-induced suppression of endogenous glucose production (31.9 ± 2.9 vs. 39.9 ± 3.2%, p = 0.020) and peripheral insulin sensitivity (Δ rate of glucose disappearance (ΔR

conclusionCarnitine supplementation improved insulin sensitivity and tended to lower IHL and fasting plasma glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, carnitine supplementation increased acetylcarnitine concentration in muscle, which may underlie the beneficial effect on insulin sensitivity.

Indexed as

AcetylcarnitineCarnitineDiabetes Mellitus, Type 2Dietary SupplementsInsulin ResistanceMuscle, SkeletalAgedBlood GlucoseFemaleGlucose Clamp TechniqueHumansInsulinMaleMiddle AgedAcetylcarnitineBlood GlucoseCarnitineInsulinacetylcarnitinecarnitine supplementationhyperinsulinemic‐euglycemic clampinsulin sensitivityintrahepatic lipid contentmagnetic resonance spectroscopytype 2 diabetes

Identifiers

PMID40019115
PMCPMC11965010

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.